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Nick Nelson

The Week Ahead

Snow, Rain, Go Away

This year has featured some of the worst April weather in memory for many parts of the Midwest and East Coast, taking a significant toll on the early baseball schedule. Already we're seeing tons of cancellations, which is bad news for many fantasy owners. The good news is that these games will all be made up at some point, meaning flush weekly schedules as we get into the summer months.

In this space, we'll keep you updated on all the rescheduled games and doubleheaders, letting you know when you should set your weekly lineups to take full advantage. In the meantime, keep a close eye on games scheduled in places like Chicago, Minnesota, Detroit, Philly, Boston and New York, as the short-term weather forecasts remain iffy.

A few notes on the upcoming week:

* The American League features a loaded schedule this week, with 11 teams scheduled to play seven games. That means plenty of two-start options, and there are a multitude of great choices in the mix. Beyond the big names like CC Sabathia, David Price, Jon Lester, Chris Sale, Max Scherzer and R.A. Dickey, there are a number of recommendable lower-tier pitchers. Hisashi Iwakuma is off to a fantastic start in Seattle with an 18/2 K/BB ratio through four starts. A.J. Griffin is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA for Oakland. Jose Quintana, owned in only a small fraction of leagues, has been outstanding and is scheduled for two starts at home.

* The National League doesn't have quite as many attractive two-start options, but the guy I've got my eye on is A.J. Burnett. With 35 strikeouts through his first 24 innings, he'll get two turns on the road, both against struggling offenses.

* The following teams are slated to face more left-handed starters than righties in the coming week, so adjust lineups accordingly: Yankees, Rays, Mets and Giants.

The following pitchers are generally available in over 50 percent of fantasy leagues and have favorable match-ups this week:

American League

Tuesday, 4/23: Mike Pelfrey vs. MIAPelfrey is nothing special but you could hardly ask for a better match-up than the dreadful Marlins offense at Target Field.

Wednesday, 4/24: Joe Saunders @ HOUSaunders is off to a strong start with his new club and hasn't allowed an earned run in either of his past two starts. Look for him to keep it going against an Astros team he's already dominated once this year.

Thursday, 4/25: Wei-Yin Chen @ OAKThe Taiwanese strike-thrower has opened his season with three straight starts on the road and has fared reasonably well. He'll get another turn in pitcher-friendly Oakland.

National League

Thursday, 4/25: Kevin Slowey vs. CHCSlowey is off to a tremendous start in Miami with a 2.04 ERA through three starts, though he's still looking for his first win. He's worth a look at home against the Cubs.

Friday, 4/26: Clayton Richard vs. SFThroughout his career, Richard has reliably been a start-at-home, bench-on-the-road guy. Thus far that trend is holding up again this year; he was blown up in his first start in New York and has since been lights-out in two home tilts.

This year has featured some of the worst April weather in memory for many parts of the Midwest and East Coast, taking a significant toll on the early baseball schedule. Already we're seeing tons of cancellations, which is bad news for many fantasy owners. The good news is that these games will all be made up at some point, meaning flush weekly schedules as we get into the summer months.

In this space, we'll keep you updated on all the rescheduled games and doubleheaders, letting you know when you should set your weekly lineups to take full advantage. In the meantime, keep a close eye on games scheduled in places like Chicago, Minnesota, Detroit, Philly, Boston and New York, as the short-term weather forecasts remain iffy.

A few notes on the upcoming week:

* The American League features a loaded schedule this week, with 11 teams scheduled to play seven games. That means plenty of two-start options, and there are a multitude of great choices in the mix. Beyond the big names like CC Sabathia, David Price, Jon Lester, Chris Sale, Max Scherzer and R.A. Dickey, there are a number of recommendable lower-tier pitchers. Hisashi Iwakuma is off to a fantastic start in Seattle with an 18/2 K/BB ratio through four starts. A.J. Griffin is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA for Oakland. Jose Quintana, owned in only a small fraction of leagues, has been outstanding and is scheduled for two starts at home.

* The National League doesn't have quite as many attractive two-start options, but the guy I've got my eye on is A.J. Burnett. With 35 strikeouts through his first 24 innings, he'll get two turns on the road, both against struggling offenses.

* The following teams are slated to face more left-handed starters than righties in the coming week, so adjust lineups accordingly: Yankees, Rays, Mets and Giants.

The following pitchers are generally available in over 50 percent of fantasy leagues and have favorable match-ups this week:

American League

Tuesday, 4/23: Mike Pelfrey vs. MIAPelfrey is nothing special but you could hardly ask for a better match-up than the dreadful Marlins offense at Target Field.

Wednesday, 4/24: Joe Saunders @ HOUSaunders is off to a strong start with his new club and hasn't allowed an earned run in either of his past two starts. Look for him to keep it going against an Astros team he's already dominated once this year.

Thursday, 4/25: Wei-Yin Chen @ OAKThe Taiwanese strike-thrower has opened his season with three straight starts on the road and has fared reasonably well. He'll get another turn in pitcher-friendly Oakland.

National League

Thursday, 4/25: Kevin Slowey vs. CHCSlowey is off to a tremendous start in Miami with a 2.04 ERA through three starts, though he's still looking for his first win. He's worth a look at home against the Cubs.

Friday, 4/26: Clayton Richard vs. SFThroughout his career, Richard has reliably been a start-at-home, bench-on-the-road guy. Thus far that trend is holding up again this year; he was blown up in his first start in New York and has since been lights-out in two home tilts.